A ONE-STOP shop aimed at helping rural business development was launched at a ground-breaking country store.

The Rural Signpost scheme, which will provide information and advice to country-based businesses, was launched at the Gisburn Country Store and Diner. The brainchild of Business Link East Lancashire, it will help farmers and rural businesses diversify and cash-in on European funding.

Country store owner Christopher Hindley, told the gathering of the problems he had experienced five years ago as he tried to establish a shop for the ice-cream and soft fruit produced on his Gisburn Park Estate. He said: "One of the biggest problems facing farmers looking to diversify is finance. I found it impossible to secure grant funding and found the paperwork gobbledegook, and getting someone to advise on finance and business planning can greatly increase costs.

"It would have been helpful to have had the support of an organisation like Rural Signpost and I shall certainly be looking in its direction to help with several new ventures that I have planned for the future."

The Gisburn Country Store and Diner is now a thriving shop of unusual farmhouse foods and 'pick-your-own' fruit.

Farmers looking to diversify are often hampered by their lack of knowledge of environmental planning, finance, grant aid and market research, Rural Signpost manager Vivienne Middleton said.

Rural Signpost will provide information and advice on funding, as well as e-mail and Internet facilities.

Businesses in Lancashire can find out more about Rural Signpost by contacting Vivienne Middleton on 0800 328 1700.

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